Looking to the past to find the future. Daimler has unveiled the F-CELL Roadster, the latest in their line of “F-Series” concept vehicles (past Mercedes research models can be seen here), and as you’ll see, it draws its inspiration from a diverse variety of automotive eras. From a functional standpoint, it’s a roadster fitted with a 1.2 kW hybrid drive – one that allows the F-CELL to reach a top speed of 15 mph and achieve an operating range of 217 miles. From a design standpoint, however, is where the F-CELL Roadster truly shines, as it manages to blend the overall aura of the original Benz patent motor car with seating and a fiberglass front section both drawn from elements of Formula One racing.

As for who was responsible for creating the unique F-CELL Roadster, that honor goes to the trainees of of Daimler AG at the Sindelfingen plant, with more than 150 trainees and dual education system students working for about a year on the overall concept, development, assembly, and completion of the hybrid model. According to Human Resources Board member and Labor Relations Manager Günther Fleig: “This project impressively demonstrates that the topic of sustainable mobility has become an integral part of our vocational training. I am delighted to see how much initiative and creativity the young people have put into this project.”

Are people really making engines run on french fry grease? Apparently they are. You may also know by now that Mr. Rudolf Diesel premiered the engine at the 1900 World’s Fair to run on peanut oil. So, this is nothing new.

But I still don’t get it. I have no idea what the difference is between biodiesel and a grease car, other than the fact that one is a chemical mixture of organic materials and the other is straight veggie oil. But isn’t it all the same? No. Lets break it down before Josh Tickell (Mr. BioDiesel) joins me for an extended chat on The Real G Room 101. Here’s what I know so far (the rest will get cleared up when we speak)…

On this episode of G Living’s Room101 we interview Josh Tickell, the author of Biodiesel America and director of the new 2008 Sundance Award winning film, Fuel.. On G Living Room101, Biodiesel Amercia Author Josh Tickell talks about why Biodiesel is the alternative fuel answer for America. He also talks about his new film, Biodiesel America which won at this years Sundance.

About Josh Tickell

Josh Tickell’s work as a published author, filmmaker, public speaker and renowned activist has taken him from the grease dumpsters of Florida and the farms of the Australian Outback to the Laboratories of the Department of Energy and the oil refineries of the Gulf Coast.

Tickell has rapidly become one of the nation’s leading experts on alternative fuels. He has consulted and testified for companies and organizations such as the National Biodiesel Board, Clif Bar, and the Arizona State House of Representatives. His first book, From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank – The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel, is a bestseller and has been instrumental in jumpstarting the biodiesel industry.

Filmmaker Josh Tickell is back with a new film pack with hollywood celebrities, billionaires, scientist and people like you and me. The film is a continueation of what is turning out to be Joshes life work, understanding fuel and it’s effects on all of us. Why is our world falling apart, why are we constantly at war, why are we using a toxic substance which pollutes our planet and enriches our enemies? You maybe surprised by the answers. The film is out now, checkout the movie site at: thefuelfilm.com

“Fuel” is a vital, superbly assembled documentary that presents an insightful overview of America’s troubled relationship with oil and how alternative and sustainable energies can reduce our country’s — and the world’s — addictive dependence on fossil fuels.Continue Reading / See Additional Photos

With insane gas prices and rising rage against corn based biodiesel, a new fuel looks like it just may just steal the spotlight. Simple green pond scum Algae is that new fuel and it may just prove to be the mightiest fuels of all.

Because of greenwashing, I’m usually really skeptical about new products and technology claiming that they’re green. But, this seems like the real deal. Using algae fuel instead of gas significantly reduces carbon emissions from cars. Not only that, but because algae is a plant, it needs CO2 to live while it’s being processed. And where does it get this CO2? Neighboring coal-fired or manufacturing plants! To sweeten the deal even further, the algae fuel doesn’t need any fossil fueled machines to make it. So, instead of just not polluting, the algae are also cleaning the air around it.

The Geneva auto show this month rolled out the latest bio- and flex- fuel vehicles, but only one was awarded best concept: the Saab 9-X. Although I often view “the next generation” vehicles with skepticism, this model deserves special mention.

The engine is designed to run on E-85 ethanol and it gets some extra juice from the hybrid powertrain that turns braking energy into battery power. But these aren’t the reason the 9-X is special. Saab – which is owned by GM – put a solar panel on top of the car to collect energy both while driving on the parkway and parking in the driveway. The only other car that I can recall using solar is the Aptera (which is still miles beyond the Geneva concepts).

If you thought corn could save the world from the internal combustion engine’s appetite for destruction, you were wrong. Recent research out of Princeton University and other reputable institutions show that switching from dinosaur gas to corn ethanol could almost double CO2 emissions.

But we thought corn could save us! Although ethanol burns cleaner, a host of other petro-intensive costs belie its true benefit. In order to produce enough ethanol – and once again, the Bush administration is complicit in the problem, requiring a six-fold increase by 2022 – valuable crop and forest land would be replaced in the rush to make as much commodity as possible. For agriculture, this means monoculture in the form of either corn or switchgrass.

Now that cars and trucks are greening out, people are probably starting to wonder what’s next in the green transportation market.

Well, the exciting news is here. Aircrafts are on the verge of doing their environmental part!

That’s right. Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines started planning a in Virgin Fuels to produce ethanol fuel in the U.S. that is environmentally responsible.

It seems the race is on between Virgin Airlines and Air New Zealand to see who will be the first to test this safer fuel. The rumor is that Virgin was scheduled to test-fly at the end of 2008, but when Air New Zealand announced their plans to test an aircraft with bio-fuel and kerosene in 2008, Virgin decided they had to be the first. Sir Richard plans to test a 747 with a renewable fuel in the next few months. The Virgin Group is currently working with Boeing Co. and GE Aviation, a unit of General Electric, to develop the fuel.